Getting Started in the Pressure Washing Industry - For Beginners Checklist

• Pick a good business name. Make sure to pick one that’s not being used already. Do your research and your google searches.
• File for your LLC. For the State of Texas we use the Secretary of State Website at https://www.sos.state.tx.us/index.shtml  $300 
• Get your EIN Number. IRS EIN Number Website: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/apply-for-an-employer-identification-number-ein-online 
• Apply for Tax Registration Number. The Texas registration website is: https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/permit/ 
• Get a Duns and Bradstreet number. This is important so you can build your Business credit profile. https://www.dnb.com/duns/get-a-duns.html. For business credit, they have three bureaus: Experian Business, Equifax, and Duns and Bradstreet. 
• Get a Logo Made. Most people start with hiring someone from fiverr.com which is a cheap and easy way to start. You can also hiring a company to make one for you. This is super important as it will be something you will put on everything. $30-50 
• Get a website made. Nevin Shields is a great resource: https://www.marketing-contractor.com/ but you may hire whoever you want. Make sure you pick someone who can not only make your website look attractive but someone who has a moderate and higher understanding of SEO practices. You will need to pick a domain which you can purchase through google at Google Domains www.domains.google/. $500+ to get website made. $12 per domain/year.
• Create your Google My Business Profile. https://www.google.com/business/. This will allow you to make a profile on the google search page, allow you to integrate your web domain and create personalized emails using your business website domain. Having some good photos to start is crucial, so either grab some stock photos, ask another business for a couple, or get some work done so you can get some content. $18/Month
• Get your CRM. I have used Jobber and Markate. https://www.markate.com/ is my favorite out of the two and the more affordable product. It has an auto review ask email that gets sent out after your invoice gets paid which is crucial to building your business. You can also get a notification when people open up your quotes, invoices and more. $29+10
• Get some Business Cards Made. www.vistaprint.com is the best place in my opinion to get this done. $100-500
• Get some T-Shirts Made: www.subeffects.com (expect to wait 3 months). www.72hrprint.com (within a month). Costs ranges from $40-75 a shirt with a minimum of 20 shirts. $800-1000
• Buy some work boots: Some water proof boots from Walmart are just fine, but the most comfortable ones I have found are the xtratuf deck boots. $135
• Get Business Insurance: I use Thimble.com for General Liability and Workers Compensation insurance. I work with JJ Lara from Rusty Brents Insurance for Commercial Auto Insurance www.insurancewithjj.com but you can use anyone you want. Progressive and State Farm sometimes have better options. www.frankcrum.com is a good resource as well. $400-800/Month. 
• Get Equipment: In my experience, I believe it's best to purchase an inexpensive used truck or used van to start out with. Somewhere between $10-12k. This allows you to spend very little and leaves room for wear and tear. This can make or break your business so choose wisely. As far as your pressure washing equipment goes, I recommend starting out with equipment you can afford. However, your equipment determines your capability. So keep that in mind. I recommend getting a 10 GPM 3000 PSI Honda IGX 800 washer if you can afford it. The washer ranges from $4000-4850. This has the best desired flow and has an engine that can last a long time. The best softwashing rig to start with is around $2100-2600 and is is the P40 or AR45 Gas Soft Wash system. The best place to get equipment in my opinion is www.texaspressurewashingstore.com. Heath Felps, the owner, is a great resource of knowledge and has a fantastic team. If you’re having questions, call their store line. Most build times at his shop range from 1 day to 2-3 weeks. This is unheard of in the industry. There are tons of other stores out there as well. You can also get financing from www.clicklease.com with a credit score of 600+. They approved me for $25,000 when I started and it has helped tremendously. 
• Get a Facebook Business Page, Business Instagram, Yelp Business Page, Tik Tok, Bing Places. These are all crucial for giving updates on your business to a consistent following of people. Video content is king. Make sure to include some timelapses on these accounts to give potential customers a visual of your work. Keep in mind that your google page makes you visible on google search and google maps. Yelp business makes your visible on apple maps.  https://www.facebook.com/business/ , www.instagram.com , https://biz.yelp.com/ , Tiktok.com , https://www.bingplaces.com/ . 
• Learn how to Wash.   This is often a step that some new beginners fail. The best way to learn is by doing. If you can train with an existing business, that is Ideal. Learn the difference between: pressure washing, soft washing, and downstreaming. Learn what chemicals work on the exact surface/situation you are washing!!! This saves you time, money and also makes you look like an expert to your client. So I would recommend watching some videos on youtube or facebook. Joining some pressure washing groups (Power Washing Bros, Pressure Washing Business Owners, Power Washing 101) and gather all of the information you possibly can. A great resource is the Pressure Washing 101 Guide by Heath Felps: https://www.amazon.com/Pressure-Washing-101-Guide-Business-ebook/dp/B08T81P167. 
• Get Some Clients.  The best way to start doing this is to get a Google Ad up for your business. Expect to spend about $50 a day for optimized results. Sample Ad Copy: “Residential Pressure Washing. Fully Insured and Licensed. Concrete Cleaning, Driveway Cleaning, House Washing, Soft Washing, Roof Washing, Siding, Patio, Sidewalks and More.” You can also run campaigns on All of the other sites mentioned earlier.. Another sure fire way of getting clients is to start knocking. I don’t mean literally start knocking doors, but that is definitely a possibility. The idea here is to get your name out there. Pass out your business cards, make some social media posts, create some yard signs $250-350 and put them out, get a wrap for your vehicle $2500-3500, join a vendor list (property management companies, GC’s, gas corps, grocery stores, etc). If you find yourself bumming it at home, ask another pro in your area if you can wash for them. Working with other pros in your area builds your network and gives you more capability for large future projects.
• Know your Pricing:  a part of getting new clients is understanding the pricing for the industry. By all means if you feel like $100 is worth 1-8 hours of your time, charge that. But keep in mind you won’t get far. Make sure to use Markate or whatever Quoting system you have to look professional and be ready to send insurance docs along with the quote if it’s a commercial job!!!! Here’s a good start: House Wash Complete Package One Story Up to 2000 sq ft   –Includes siding, sidewalk, 500sqft driveway, front porch, and back patio $450. House Wash Complete Package Two Story Up to 2000 sq ft   –Includes siding, sidewalk, 500sqft driveway, front porch, and back patio $650. Exterior by the foot: Vinyl .15 cents a sq ft, Brick .16 cents a sq ft (if any brick on the home this price), Stucco .20 cents a sq ft. Roof Pricing Shingles .30 cents a sq ft, Tile .45 cents a sq ft, Metal .50 cents a sq ft, Flatwork Residential .20 cents a sq ft. Commercial .10 cents a sq ft. Commercial Sidewalks $1 linear foot. Fence Cleaning with metasilicate and oxalic .75 cents a sq ft or $4.50 a linear foot. Vinyl Fence $1 foot per side, Rust Removal $4 sq ft starting minimum charge $75, Efflorescence Removal $6 sq ft starting minimum $200.
• Download Company Cam. We use this to give perfect before and after pictures to our clients. They also have an internet based cloud storage program that stores all of your files and the ability to send a link directly to your clients!!!! $10-20 a month. This is huge for content!
• Get Reviews. A part of growing your business is by getting reviews on your public profiles across the internet. Google allows you to provide a link to your google review page directly. You’ll achieve even more success if you can get reviews for all your other platforms. 

Of course I am always a resource for those in need. Feel free to email support@texaspremierpw.com with any questions. Thanks and good luck!!!